I'm Sorry El
by AR357
Summary: Christmas Eve, 1983. After a mess of a D&D campaign, Mike is reminded of who he lost a month ago. Meanwhile, events that he is unaware of just might bring her back to him. Post S1 AU. Originally a one-shot inspired by "I'm Sorry" by John Denver.
1. Chapter 1

"Stop!" Dustin yelled, as Will and Jonathan made their way up the stairs.

"No you stop!" Lucas shot back as the two continued to play fight.

The boys had just spent the past five hours playing their annual Christmas Eve campaign, although this one had way to many loose ends in the story. This was very unusual for Mike, as his Christmas Eve campaigns were often his best, but this year his heart just wasn't in it.

Lucas and Dustin were still wrestling, slowly making their way upstairs. Mike ignored their shenanigans, and instead turned his attention to the blanket fort he'd built over a month ago. He felt that same familiar pain tugging at his stomach, that hole that was left inside him.

"Eleven..." He whispered as he approached the fort.

Even a month later, he could still remember everything about that fateful week. He remembered sneaking her eggos for breakfast. He remembered her saving his life at the quarry. He remembered their kiss in the cafeteria. During the daytime, he could at least remember the good things that happened that week.

But at night, there was no escaping the nightmares. At night, he would remember the terror he felt as the creature advanced on them. He'd remember being pushed away as he tried to stop El, being held in place. He remembered her eyes, they were... wrong. They weren't the beautiful brown eyes he was used to, they were blood red. He remembered her blood-curdling screams of agony. And he remembered her disappearing. Gone without a trace. He'd never know what happened to her. That hurt him in ways he couldn't explain.

And he had looked for her, they all had. Mike, Will, Lucas, Dustin and Nancy spent days looking for her. They searched all over Mirkwood, but there was no sign of Eleven. The others gave up the search after two weeks, but Mike looked for her everyday for nearly a month, until he too realized that even if she didn't die in the classroom, there was no way anyone could survive for a month in the brutal cold. Mike knew he'd failed her yet again.

But what hurt him the most, was knowing he'd broken his promise. He's promised her they'd go to the Snow Ball together. That she'd stay with him and his family. That she'd have her own bed to sleep in. That she could have all the eggos her heart desired. But the Snow Ball had come and gone, and El was lost to him forever.

"El," he choked out as his tears started to fall. "El, I'm sorry. I wasn't strong enough to save you." He fell to his knees in front of the fort, no longer trying to fight the tears. "If I had just taken you away from the school, the bad men wouldn't have found you. If I could have found you before it was too late. If I... I..." he trailed off, breaking down into sobs, crawling into the fort and clutching El's pillow for dear life.

He wasn't sure how long he laid there, but when he had run out of tears, he found that Dustin and Lucas had snuck out the door and gone home. Mike set about cleaning up the mess that was left over, hoping that would take his mind off of... other things. This was of course in vain. She never left his mind.

When he finally emerged from the basement, his father was fast asleep in his La-Z-Boy. His mother was in the kitchen, putting away the leftovers. Nancy was on the couch with Steve, cuddled under a blanket.

Mike intentionally avoided all of them, and made his way upstairs to his room. When he got upstairs, he heard Nancy's radio playing. He listened for just a few moments, then went in her room to turn it off. He walked into his room, laid on his bed, and cried himself to sleep, the words of the song still ringing in his head.

 _I'm sorry for all the lies I told you._

 _I'm sorry for the things I didn't say._

 _More than anything else, I'm sorry for myself_

 _'Cause you're not here with me._


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey! No more snooping!" Joyce exclaimed.

"No, I forgot to wash my hands. I'll be right back!" Will replied, quickly excusing himself.

Joyce said something as he was walking away, but he wasn't paying attention. He knew what was coming, and no one could be around to see it happen. He stood in front of the sink, just waiting for it to happen. Sure enough he felt the familiar discomfort in his throat, followed by a coughing fit, and he spit the greasy slug into the sink. This had been happening off and on ever since he got back. He had gotten lucky so far, and was able to hide it. No one could know about this, especially not his mom and brother. No, they have too much to worry about already. Besides, he was used to this by now.

But he wasn't prepared to suddenly see the Upside Down. All of a sudden he remembered everything, the biting cold, the putrid toxic air, the floating particles, and the slimy vines everywhere. It felt so real, almost as if he really was back there.

Then as suddenly as his flashback came, it was gone. He gasped and took in a breath of clean air. " _What. The. Hell?"_ he thought to himself. He knew the Upside Down took a toll on his psyche, but to have a flashback like that? Where he could feel every little detail? Something was seriously wrong with him, that much he knew. But he still couldn't bring himself to tell anyone. He feared what would happen to him, or even his family, if word were to get around. So he stayed quiet.

He washed the bad taste out of his mouth, and splashed some water on his face, trying to cover up what had just happened. Will headed back to the table where Joyce and Jonathan were already eating. He tried to act casual, but Joyce noticed the strange look on his face.

"You ok?" she asked in her motherly tone.

"Yeah, I'm ok." He lied. He hated having to lie to the people he loved the most, but it was for their own good. He wasn't going to let anyone else suffer because of him, not anymore.

"Hey mom, did Will tell you about the game?" Jonathan asked, seemingly oblivious.

"Oh yeah! I threw a fireball at him and whoosh! Dead!" Will explained, happy for the subject change.

Christmas Eve dinner was very special for the Byers family this year, despite the overcooked turkey and runny potatoes. Most families take for granted what they have, not them. They knew very well that even if they lost everything, they'd be fine, as long as they were together.

After dinner, Jonathan started on the dishes, Joyce put away the leftovers, and Will got ready for bed. He had his and Jonathan's favorite song playing quietly as he got dressed, contemplating on everything that had happened just weeks ago. He began to daydream about he that he and the gang were going to do once all their presents were opened. Mainly play video games on the Atari that he was certain was under the tree.

His daydream was cut short by a voice that made his blood run cold. He had heard this voice before, while he was trapped in the Upside Down. He could only make out a couple of words, but those words were crystal clear.

" _Hopper Knows"_

Will was terrified, did he really just hear that or was it just his head playing tricks on him again? No, it couldn't be real. She was dead, gone forever. The guys saw her die, he was just shook up from before, yeah, that was it. He just needed to calm down. This just had to be another secret he couldn't tell anyone about.

After composing himself, he went into the kitchen to tell his family goodnight. Jonathan had just finished washing the dishes, and Joyce was drying them and putting them away. Joyce turned around and saw him standing there.

"Are you ready for bed?" she asked.

"Yeah, I just came in here to tell you both goodnight." He replied.

Joyce walked over and knelt down to embrace her youngest, a few tears slipping down her cheeks as she did so. It was just still surreal for her, that she was given her son back after losing him for a week. Jonathan saw the scene before him, and couldn't help but to take a picture before joining the embrace. And there they sat for a few minutes, just knowing that they were whole again.

"I love you guys." Will whispered.

"We love you too Will." They both whispered back.

As much as they wanted to stay there forever, the hug was broken by Will's yawn. They all stood up, drying their eyes and saying goodnight. Will left the kitchen and headed to his room. He turned off the lights, and he crawled into bed, slipping into a deep sleep.

But in his dream, he saw a face. A gaunt complexion with sunken eyes, and short hair. He couldn't tell who it was, or even if it was a boy or not. The face disappeared when he hear a familiar roar. The Demogorgon, it was coming.

Will jolted awake with a gasp. He often had nightmares involving the Demogorgon, but this time he had something else to focus on. That face, what was that? He knew he wasn't going to be falling asleep again soon, so he grabbed his doodle book and started drawing the face he saw. First starting with a pencil outline, then adding details with some colored pencils he had bought. After a while he had drawn the face almost exactly as he had seen it.

With his drawing complete, he returned to his bed. After a while, he finally fell asleep once again. But not before letting his mind wander to the strange events of that day, and he couldn't help but wonder if they were somehow connected. If they were, what did they mean?

Little did he know, he'd soon have his answers.

 **A/N: Well, I had planned for this to be a one-shot based on the song "I'm Sorry" by John Denver. janeelevenives83 gave me the idea to make this an actual story. I have no idea how often I'll be updating this, but I'll try to make it a somewhat regular thing. I've also rewrote and added to parts of Chapter 1, so you may want to give that another read. Again, creative criticism is always welcome.**


	3. Chapter 3

Christmas day was here. For most it was a time of celebration, thanksgiving and reflection. For Jim, it was just another day. Christmas lost it's magic with the death of his daughter, he didn't really see much point in it anymore. So, instead of doing anything festive, he woke up, had a cigarette, and cooked some eggs for breakfast, as he usually did. After breakfast he took a shower, brushed his teeth, and put on his uniform. He stood in front of his mirror, making sure he was somewhat presentable, and made his way to the front door. As he opened the door, he saw an unmarked black van pulling up his driveway.

The van came to a stop, and man in a black suit stepped out of the car and walked towards Jim. "Mister Hopper, you need to come with me." He said.

Jim said nothing, as walked to the back of the van and got in. In the back of the van was a polygraph machine, and two chairs, one for the man, and one for Jim. Both men sat down in their chairs next to the machine, and the man put leads on Jim, wiring him to the machine . After making sure the was working, he asked Jim the usual questions.

"Have you told any one of what you know regarding the Hawkins Lab testing?" The man asked.

"No." The needle stayed still.

"Have you told any one of what you know regarding the so called, 'Upside Down'?"

"No." The needle remained still.

"Have you told any one of what you know regarding subject zero one one?

"She has a name." Jim growled through clenched teeth.

"Answer the question, Mister Hopper." The man replied.

"No, I haven't." The needle didn't move.

"Ok, we're done here." The man said as he unhooked Jim from the machine.

"Just get the hell off my property." Jim said as he left the van, walking to his truck.

He heard the van driving away as he walked to his truck. He got inside, started the engine, and headed for town. As he drove, he thought about the deal he'd made with the Lab. There was a whole list of conditions, but the one he regretted most was giving up Eleven's location. Sure, the deal had allowed him and Joyce to rescue Will, but was it worth it? Giving up an innocent little girl, who had been poked, prodded and tortured her entire life? She had just tasted freedom for the first time, and he sold her down the river without a second thought. No matter how he tried to rationalize it, what happened to Eleven was Jim's fault, and the guilt ate him alive. And those boys, Eleven's friends, they had their own share of guilt, especially Mike.

Several times Karen Wheeler had called the station reporting Mike missing. Jim had responded to those calls, and found Mike all over Hawkins. Usually around Castle Byers, or the school, still looking for Eleven. Jim wanted to tell him the truth, to tell everyone the truth. They deserved that much. But if he did, everyone that ever came in contact with Eleven would be in danger.

So he kept quiet. Hiding the truth from Joyce, the kids, and especially Mike. If Mike knew for sure that Eleven was still alive, he'd probably try to break into the Hawkins Lab and 'disappear'. But she was alive, Jim knew it, from the box of food that was always empty when he went there at night. She was alive, but somewhere else, be it the Upside Down or otherwise. Even if she was in the Upside Down, Jim knew the gate had closed after he and Joyce escaped with Will. All he could do for her now was keep her fed and hydrated, wherever she was.

When Jim reached the station, it was about half past noon. He was the only one there, as he volunteered to work on Christmas. So he went about his day as if nothing were different. He unlocked the station, walked into the break room, and filled his mug with black coffee. As he took a sip, he walked into his office, and found a plate of Christmas tree shaped cookies on his desk. On the plate was a note which read, _'Merry Christmas Hop -Flo'_. Jim took a cookie off the plate, and sat down to do some paperwork.

He had been working for about an hour, when he was interrupted by the sound of the front door slamming open. He got up to go see who had come in the door in such a hurry, and found Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Mike. Mike had a fire in his eyes that made Jim take a step back. But Mike took a step forward, his eyes drilling into Jim's.

"Tell me. Where. She. Is." He said, his voice dripping with hatred.


	4. Chapter 4

Christmas day at the Wheeler's house was exactly what one might imagine it to be. There was a partially eaten plate of cookies, alongside an empty glass that was filled the night before. There were presents under the tree, and stockings hung by the fireplace. Holly was ecstatic, having opened her brand cabbage patch doll. Nancy was enjoying a cup of hot chocolate, and talking with her parents. And Mike, for the first time in a long time, didn't have to force a smile. He had gotten Star Wars: A New Hope on VHS.

After all the presents were opened, the entire family sat down to a meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, and green beans, with apple pie for dessert.

"So Michael, when are your friends coming over today?" Karen asked.

"We actually decided to go to Will's today." He replied.

"Oh, that's fine. What time are you going over?"

"I'm going over at elev..." He trailed off, he couldn't bear to finish his sentence. He tried to change the subject, but failed, leaving silence to set in.

"Mike?" Nancy said with concern on her face.

"I'm sorry, could I be excused? I'm full." Mike said, fighting back tears.

"Of course you can Michael. I'll take care of your plate." Karen replied.

Mike chose not to say anything, instead getting up from the table and walking stiffly to the bathroom. He closed the door and went to the sink and splashed some cold water on his face. He reached for a towel, eyes still closed and dried his face.

"One day. Just one day when it doesn't hurt. Is that too much to ask?" He muttered to himself. He was interrupted by his thoughts when there were three soft knocks on the door.

"Mike? You ok?" It was Nancy.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He lied. "I'll be out in a minute."

"Ok, just checking on you." She said as she walked away.

Nancy, she was once his annoying older sister. Now though, after everything they'd been through, there was a much more kindred spirit between them. They both had seen things, and lost people. She was one of the few that he'd confide in.

He left the bathroom and went to his room to get ready to leave. He went to his closet, put on his coat and grabbed his backpack, before heading back downstairs. He walked to the living room, where he found his family. Ted was in his recliner, in a food coma. Nancy and Karen were on the floor playing with Holly.

He walked over to where they were. "I'm going to head to Will's." He whispered.

"Ok, be careful. The roads might be slick." Karen whispered back.

"Alright, love you." He whispered as he walked to the garage.

When he got to the garage he got on his bike, and started towards Will's house. As he pedaled, he watched for any ice on the road. Before too long he arrived at Will's house, and saw that Lucas's bike was already there. He set his bike down next to Lucas's, went to the door and knocked. The door was answered by Jonathan.

"Hey Mike. Lucas is with Will in his room, you can head on in." He said.

Mike kicked the snow off his shoes, and went inside to Will's room. As he walked down the hall, he heard some beeping noises coming from Will's room.

"GAH! Stupid missiles!" Lucas yelled.

"Hey, 8200 points isn't that bad for your second time." Will said.

"Hi guys, what's going on?" Mike asked as he walked in.

"Will got an Atari for Christmas! Oh man, Dustin's going to flip when he sees this!" Lucas said.

"Did someone say my name?" Dustin called from the hallway.

"Dude get in here! Will got an Atari!" Lucas called back.

"No way!" Dustin said as we ran into the room.

"Yeah,come try this! It's called Missile Command!" Lucas replied as Dustin kneeled down next to him.

As the boys would find out, Dustin was horrible at the game.

"Jeez Dustin, how did you only get 2000?" Lucas asked, giving Dustin a gentle shove.

"Shut up Lucas." He said, shoving back.

Lucas lost his footing from the shove, and bumped into the table next to him, knocking off Will's notebook.

"I've got it." Mike said as he bent down to pick up the notebook.

Will finally spoke up. "Hey, I've got more than Missile Command. There's Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Dig Dug and Frogger. What do you want to play?" He asked.

"Maybe we should let Mike decide. He hasn't played yet." Lucas suggested.

"Mike, what do you want to play?" Dustin asked as he turned around. He saw Mike still kneeling there staring at the notebook.

"Mike? You ok?" Lucas asked. Mike said nothing, but picked up the notebook and turned around with an unreadable expression on his face, as if he were feeling every emotion all at once.

"Mike, you're scaring me." Dustin said.

Mike was still silent as he turned the notebook around to the rest of the boys, revealing the picture Will had drawn the night before. Dustin and Lucas's jaws dropped as they saw the picture.

"Will? What. Is. This?" Mike asked, enunciating every word.

"It's a face I saw in my dream last night. Do you know what it is?" Will asked, confused as to what was going on.

"Will, that 'face' is Eleven." Lucas said.

"Will, look at me." Mike said as he locked eyes with his friend. "Tell me about the dream. Tell me everything."

"There isn't much to tell. I was in total darkness, then I saw the face. It was there for a while, then I heard the Demogorgon coming, and the face disappeared into a cloud of..."

"Black dust." Dustin finished for him.

"How did you know?" Will asked.

"Will, we never told you, but that's how Eleven died." Lucas explained.

"Wait a second, if we never told him about that, why would he dream it?" Mike asked.

This stumped Lucas, why would he dream that? It was a pretty specific detail.

"Maybe... maybe she's not really dead?" Dustin thought out loud.

"Dustin, we've been over this..."

"Think about it, Will has never seen El, yet he can draw a perfect picture of her face, and he had a dream about her exploding into dust. What if she's still alive, and is using her powers to change his dream?" He theorized.

"Dustin, we saw her explode into a million pieces!" Lucas said.

"I've been thinking about that too! After she saved Mike at the quarry, she said that it was her that opened the gate. What if she made another one inside the Demogorgon, and got sucked into it?" He asked.

"Even if that was the case, how could she survive? Will barely made it a week in that place, she would have been there for over a month!" Lucas said.

"Well..." Will chimed in. "Last night I heard her voice. I just thought it was another side effect. I couldn't under stand much, but i definitely heard 'Hopper Knows'"

"'Hopper knows', that's pretty specific. Does that mean anything to you?" Dustin asked, turning to Mike.

Mike thought a moment, this was a lot to take in. ' _Hopper Knows' What does Hopper know? Did he see something in the lab? Do the bad men know what he knows? Bad men.._ Mike suddenly came to a horrible realization.

"Guys?" He asked, getting their attention. "How would the bad men have known where to find us?"

The boys were silent as the implications of the question set in.

"You... you don't think..." Lucas trailed off.

"He freakin Landoed us! He sold out El!" Dustin shouted.

Mike could feel the rage building inside him. His knuckles turned white as his fists trembled. _He sold us out! He betrayed us! If what Dustin thinks is true, El might have survived, and he said nothing!_ He thought to himself. In that moment, he knew what he had to do.

He turned to the door. "I'm going to go find Hopper, and I'm going to make him tell me everything." He stated as he started walking.

"Mike wait!" Lucas shouted. "Even if all this is true, why would he tell you now?"

"Maybe he won't. Maybe he'll deny the whole thing. But now I know there's a chance that El might still be alive, and I'm not going to stop until I know for sure. I'm doing this. With, or without you guys." With that, he turned on his heels and walked towards the door, headed for his bike. He picked it up from the ground, wiped off some water on the side, and got on. He was about to set off when he heard the front door open, and saw Dustin, Lucas, and Will coming out to their bikes.

Dustin smiled at him. "We never split up the party, remember?"

Mike gave him a small smile and a nod in return.

"Mom said that Hopper would be at the station, he works on Christmas." Will said. And with that, they set off to town. Hardly a word was spoken during the whole ride, which left Mike to stew in his anger.

Before too long they reached town, and headed to the police station. Once they got there Mike skidded to a stop, and let his bike fall out from under him. He walked straight to the door, and pulled it open. He looked around the lobby for Hopper and saw nothing. As he was about to go to his office, Hopper walked around the corner and saw the boys standing there. Mike locked eyes with him.

"Tell me. Where. She. Is." He said, his voice dripping with hatred.

 **A/N: Well, this took longer to get out than I thought it would. I blame a combination of work, sickness, and elections(God help us.) Anyway, the next one shouldn't take as long. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.**


	5. Chapter 5

"Tell me. Where. She Is." Mike said, his voice dripping with hatred.

Jim felt his heart start racing. "What are you talking about?" He asked, trying to keep his voice neutral.

"Eleven!" Mike shouted. "You know the truth! You lied to us all! You sold us out! SO TELL ME! WHERE! SHE! IS!" He finished, his chest heaving.

Jim stayed silent for a moment, considering his options. _"How could he know?"_ He thought to himself. _"If I tell him, the agents will find out. But if I don't tell him, he'll go looking for her and try something stupid."_

"It's true." He finally admitted. "I told them where Eleven was. In return they gave me and Joyce the equipment needed to get Will back."

"You betrayed us!" Mike shouted.

"Tell me Mike, if you were held hostage in a lab room, and they were torturing you, what would you have done? What would you have done knowing that they'd kill Joyce? What would you have done if you knew if you didn't get Will back soon, that he'd die? Because I had to make those choices. I made them, and everyday, I have to live with them. The guilt eats me alive, but I did it to save Will." Jim finished.

"I... I..." Mike tried to argue, but couldn't come up with anything. He leaned back into the wall, and slid to the floor.

"El..." He whispered putting his head in his arms.

"Wait, what about Will's dream? What about the voice?" Dustin asked.

"What are you talking about kid?" Jim asked.

Will spoke up "Last night, I heard her voice. Most of it wasn't clear, but I know I heard the words _'Hopper Knows'_. And I had a dream where I saw a face, I didn't know it was Eleven until Lucas told me."

"What you you mean you heard a voice?" Jim asked.

"I think the real question is what do you know?" Lucas challenged.

Hopper sighed. "I put a box in the woods. Every night I put food and water inside, and when I come back, it's gone. I thought an animal might have been getting it, so I put a lock on it. But when I unlock it, the food is still gone."

"You mean..." Mike whispered, trying not to get his hopes up.

"Yes. I think El is still alive, but I don't know where." Jim said.

"I think she might be in the Upside Down." Dustin chimed in. "She told me and Mike that she opened the gate in the lab. What if she opened another one inside the Demogorgon to destroy it, but was sucked inside before it collapsed?"

"If that's the case, we still can't get to her." Jim said pulling out a cigarette. "The gate at the lab isn't there anymore."

"All this time... she's been in that place... and you never told me." Mike grumbled out, he was numb from all the conflicting emotions he felt.

"If I could have told you, I would have. But the fact remains, there's nothing we can do." Jim sighed.

"What if she tried to contact us? Like I said, I heard her and saw her face in my dream. If she can do things with her mind, maybe she can use her powers to contact us." Will theorized.

"Maybe, but it's been two months. Why wouldn't she have done this before now?" Jim asked.

Nobody could offer an answer. They all stood in quiet contemplation, until Mike spoke up.

"So what now? We know she's alive, but we just have to wait to see if she contacts us?"

"Not much else we can do kid." Jim stated. "If you want my suggestion, you all should go home. Will, if you have another dream like that, call me. Until then, you should all stay quiet about this. You never know who's listening."

And with that, the boys got ready to leave. As they were walking to the door, Jim stopped Mike. He knelt down so he was at eye-level with him.

"I know words aren't worth much at this point, but I am sorry. About all of this." Jim said.

"Yeah." Mike said as he turned on his heels and walked away, leaving Jim on the floor.

Jim walked to the door and saw the boys pedaling away. He let out a deep sigh and pulled a card from his wallet. He went to his office and picked up the phone. He dialed the number on the card, and waited.

"Authorization Code." A voice demanded on the other end.

"Echo, Lima, Echo, Victor, Echo, November." Hopper replied.

Static crackled over the line.

"Mister Hopper, what is it?" A male voice said.

"We have a problem." Jim stated, rubbing his forehead.


	6. Chapter 6

The boys rode away from the station in silence. Not a word was spoken until they were almost back to Will's house.

"At least we know the truth." Will said, trying to lighten the mood.

"She's trapped in hell, and I can't do anything! How is this better?!" Mike barked out.

After his outburst, nobody dared speak. After they arrived at Will's house, Mike left the rest of the boys there, and went home. When he returned home, he went to his room, locked his door and stayed there for the rest of the day.

"Mike?" Nancy asked, knocking on the door.

He stayed silent.

"Mike?" Nancy repeated, a little bit louder.

He said nothing.

"Mike, please talk to me." She pleaded.

It became apparent to her that he wasn't going to talk. She decided to give him some space, hoping that he'd talk when he was ready. Little did she know, he wouldn't talk for another six days. In that time, any attempt at conversation was met with an empty stare. If he was asked a question, his response was always non-verbal, if he even answered at all. When he finally spoke, it was only one word answers to questions.

Day after day he'd become a little more withdrawn, spending all his time in either his room, or the basement. All contact with his friends had been lost. His family became more and more concerned. He wouldn't even display emotion. It was almost as if he had forgotten how to feel.

Things continued this way until January 6th. Mike was asleep, having his usual nightmare.

 _The Demogorgon advanced on the group. Lucas tried in vain to kill it with his slingshot. Time and time again the rocks bounced off the beast, only making it angrier. Until one rock make solid contact, sending the monster sailing to the wall. The boys looked around in disbelief, until they saw El standing up, and walking towards the Demogorgon._

 _"Eleven stop!" Mike cried out as he reached out to her._

 _She threw out her arm, tossing Mike into the cabinets, and held him in place with her mind. Mike tried to get up, but was helpless against her invisible restraint. She kept advancing, until she was right in front of the Demogorgon. She stopped, and looked back at her friends, with a sorrowful expression._

 _"Goodbye Mike." She said before turning back around._

 _"No more." She lifted her arm and focused. Her arm began to tremble from exertion. She screamed in pain, drawing even more power from within. The Demogorgon's screams mixed with hers, in a deafening noise that grew and grew. Mike closed his eyes and looked away, and suddenly, the screams stopped. When he looked back, he was no longer in the classroom. It was just, black. Black as far as he could see. Dustin and Lucas were nowhere to be seen. But then he saw Eleven, standing in front of him. The dress and coat she was wearing had been matted down, with some kind of hair was also a little bit longer than it was in November._

 _"El?" Mike asked, staring in disbelief._

 _"Mike, don't be sad." She said lifting her hand up in front of her._

 _"El." Mike whispered, lifting his hand up to meet hers._

 _As their hands touched, a shockwave erupted between them, knocking Mike into the air, and he fell. And fell. And kept on falling._

Mike jolted awake, and started screaming. There was a burning in his head, almost as if his brain was on fire. He rolled off his bed, clutching his head as he hit the floor. It was then that Nancy and his parents came in the room, and saw Mike on the floor screaming, and clutching his head, with blood pouring from his ears and nose. Before anyone could say anything, Mike passed out.

"Mike! Mike!" Nancy cried, shaking his shoulders.

"Karen, go grab Holly! We have to get him to the hospital!" Ted yelled as he picked up Mike.

Things happened in a blur. The drive to the hospital was made in record time, despite the road conditions. After arriving at the emergency room, Mike was taken back on a gurney, and his family was ushered into the waiting room. After what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was only an hour and a half, a doctor came into the room.

"Michael Wheeler?" He called out.

Ted, Karen and Nancy all stood up, and the doctor walked to them.

"Mr. Wheeler, your son's condition is stable. Unfortunately, he seems to be in a comatose state. We're keeping a close eye on his condition, in case the bleeding was indicative of something more serious. At this point, that's about all we can do." he said apologetically.

"Thank you doctor. May we see him now?" Karen asked.

"Of course. If you'll follow me please." He said as he motioned behind him.

He lead them back through the doors, into the recovery wing. He opened the door to room 111, and allowed the family inside.

"If there's nothing else, I'll leave you with him." The doctor said.

"Thank you." Nancy said, choking back a sob.

The doctor said nothing, but simply nodded and left the room.

Nancy, Ted, and Karen all gathered around the bed, and watched the rise and fall of Mike's chest. No words were said, only silent tears were shared among them. They all stayed at the hospital that night, serving as a silent vigil for their son, and brother.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm going to jump on the bandwagon of recommending a few fanfics. Also, I'd like to thank ReySkywalker112 for recommending my fanfic.**

 **Eleven's First Cold by Brown Eyes Parker**

 **Not as Strange as Expected by MobMotherScitah**

 **El Byers (or Dustin Henderson) and the Secret Crush by .before**

 **Even Stranger Things by ReySkywalker112**

 **Cold, helpless, fragile as glass When I shatter, I will find you by janeelevenives83**

 **Just a country mile behind the whole world by dearmad (Read this one at your own risk.)**

 **There's more great fics, but I'd have to write an entire chapter to list all of them.**

 **And now, your regularly scheduled programming.**

* * *

"Will? Will, wake up." Joyce said, gently pushing her son's arm.

"Huh? Mom? What is it?" Will asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Nancy just called. Mike had some kind of episode last night, he's been taken to the hospital. Jonathan is going to take Dustin and Lucas to see him, if you want to go too." She explained.

The news woke him up. "Mike's in the hospital? What happened?"

"They're still not sure. He's stable, but he's unresponsive. Jon's going to leave soon, if you want to see him." She said, rubbing his shoulder.

"Yeah, just let me get ready." Will replied, crawling out of bed. He went to his closet to get clothes, just a long sleeved shirt and jeans. After putting his clothes on, he went to the kitchen and ate a bag of pop-tarts. He walked out into the living room, where Jonathan was waiting on him.

"Hey, you ready to go?" He asked.

Will nodded.

"Alright then." Jonathan said as he walked to the door. They went outside and got in his car. After letting it warm up for a few minutes, they headed to Dustin's house. When they got there, Dustin was waiting outside with Lucas, who had come over to be picked up. They both got in the backseat, and they all went to the hospital.

Upon arrival, they found Nancy waiting for all of them in the lobby. Only nods and sad glances were exchanged as she led the group to Mike's room. She opened the door and allowed the boys to walk in. Their hearts sank as they saw Mike laying on the hospital bed. They walked over to Mike's side.

"Jeez Mike, what happened to you?" Lucas mumbled under his breath.

"You know... two months ago, I was in his spot." Will said. "He's a lot stronger than I am. I know he'll pull through." It sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

"Thank you boys for coming, I know it means a lot to him." Karen said, putting her hands on Dustin and Will's shoulders.

"Yeah... I just..." Dustin trailed off. "We knew he was upset, so we tried to give him some space. But... maybe we pushed him away in the process?" Dustin said, looking at the ground.

"No. No, no, no, don't you think that. Don't any of you think that." Karen said as she looked the boys in their eyes. "Mike cares about all of you, you have no idea how much he values your friendship. Whatever happened to him, none of you are to blame for it. Understand?"

The boys all nodded. They moved to some chairs by the wall, and sat down. Will glanced back to where Jonathan was, but he had left the room with Nancy. Those remaining in the room all sat in silence, hoping that any minute Mike would wake up.


	8. Chapter 8

He sat in the darkness that surrounded him. He could see nothing that wasn't himself. He could feel nothing, he could hear nothing. Complete sensory deprivation. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but it felt like an eternity. He thought of his friends and family that he'd pushed away. If only he could see them again, he'd beg their forgiveness for how stupid he was.

He was pulled from his thoughts when a voice broke through the darkness. It was muffled at first, but soon the voice became crystal clear. And very, very familiar.

"Mike." The voice said

"...El?" He said out loud, not sure if it was a hallucination. His thoughts were broken when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around, and there she was.

"El? Is it really you?" He asked, as he looked her over. She looked the same as she did in the last part of his dream.

She nodded, but kept her gaze down. Mike gently put his hand out, and placed it on her arm. He felt the fabric of Hopper's coat, he then knew she was real.

"El, it really is you!" He exclaimed, bringing her into his embrace. "What's going on? Where are we?"

"Mike... I'm sorry. I'm sorry..." She choked out.

"Sorry? Sorry for what?" He asked, taking a step back.

"I hurt you, now you're trapped." She answered, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Trapped? Trapped where?" He asked. El said nothing, but tapped her finger on his head. "My head? I'm trapped in... my head? I... I don't understand." He said, confused.

"Found your dream. Touched your mind. Hurt you. I didn't mean to. Mike, I'm so sorry" She said, hanging her head.

"Hey. Look at me." Mike said, bringing his eyes to hers. "Don't blame yourself, you couldn't have known." He pulled her close to him, like they were in the quarry. They both stayed like that for some time, before Mike spoke up.

"El, where are you? Is it true Hopper's been bringing you food?" He asked.

"Yes. I'm in the Upside Down. He puts food in a box." She answered.

"Well, how can I get to you? We have to get you out of there!" He said.

"You can't. The gate's gone." She said.

"No! There has to be another way! I can't just leave you there!" He said, tears stinging his eyes.

"Mike." She said softly as she put her hand on his. "It's ok."

Mike was about to tell her that it wasn't ok. That he'd never give up, until she was back safely. But before he could, she started fading away.

"El!" He screamed, grabbing at her disappearing form. But it was no use, she was gone. Again.

"NO!" He yelled, his fist hitting the ground. "I'LL FIND YOU EL! I SWEAR IT!" He screamed at nothing in particular, hoping Eleven could somehow hear him. He curled up on the ground, and tried to choke back his tears. When he opened his eyes again, he once again saw the black void he was in. He was alone.

But off in the distance, he could see a little speck of light.

"El!? Is that you?!" He shouted. There was no answer. He tried to move towards the light, but he couldn't move. It felt as if his feet were stuck in concrete. He focused all his strength into taking a single step. He was rewarded when he moved a few inches. Then he took anther step, but he felt his strength failing. He tried to take a third step, but his strength had left him, and he fell to the ground.

He laid there in an exhausted heap, with only the strength to turn his head to look at the light. He focused on the light that was seemingly taunting him from the distance, mocking him for his weakness.

But just as Mike was about to give up hope, the light started moving closer.

 _Beep_

 _Beep_

 _Beep_

 _"Guys... Guys! He's moving!" Dustin's voice said in the distance._

"Dustin? Where are you?!" Mike yelled, as he sat up.

 _"Ted! Go get a doctor! Quick!"_

"Mom!?" He yelled, springing to his feet. His strength had seemingly returned, but he didn't question it. He just ran as fast as he could to the light. He crossed the distance quickly and stood before a ball of light. He reached out his hand tentatively, and as he touched the orb, everything went white.

* * *

 **A/N: This chapter and the one before it were supposed to be one longer chapter, but I couldn't get the story flow right. So sorry if these last two chapters seemed short, hopefully that won't be the case in the future.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Rating changed from K to T, for mild language.**

* * *

Mike felt himself slowly coming around, as if he'd just awoken from a restless sleep. He tried to open his eyes, but was blinded by the sudden light. After a few moments, his vision returned, and he saw his friends and family crowding around him.

"Guys? I... what happened?" He asked, his voice hoarse. He tried to sit up only to be gently pushed back down by his mother.

"Easy Mike. Your father went to get a doctor just stay down until he's here." She said. It wasn't long before Ted returned with the doctor.

"Hello Mike. It's good to see that you're awake." The doctor said, as he pulled a chair next to Mike's bed.

"Water?" Mike croaked out.

"Of course. Miss?" He asked, looking at Nancy. "Could you head to the nurses' station and ask for a pitcher of water, a cup, and a straw?"

"Y-yeah. Just a second." Nancy mumbled before leaving the room.

"Ok Mike, while she's getting you some water, I'm going to run a few tests. Ok?" The doctor asked.

Mike nodded.

"Alright." The doctor said as he pulled a pen light from his pocket. "I'm going to shine this in your eyes to check your pupillary reflex. Ready?"

Mike nodded.

The doctor shone the light in Mike's left eye, and saw the pupil shrink. He then checked the right eye, with the same result. He then asked Mike to touch his thumbs to his fingertips. Just as Mike was finishing this test, Nancy returned with water. She poured the water into the cup, put in the straw, and gave it to Mike. He then began to sip the water, feeling the cold liquid rushing down his dry throat.

"So Mike, how much do you remember about what happened?" The doctor asked.

"I... not much really. All I remember is pain. It felt like my brain was on fire. And then I woke up here." Mike replied, making sure not to include that he'd talked to El.

"And this is the first time this has happened?" The doctor asked.

"Yeah. I've had headaches before, but that was no headache." He replied. "How long have I been out?" He asked.

"It's been five days since you were admitted." The doctor answered.

"So, I missed school starting?" Mike asked, looking over at his friends.

"Yeah, it hasn't been the same without you." Dustin said.

"So... how much longer am I going to be in here?" Mike asked the doctor.

"Well, that's where some bad news comes in. We still aren't sure what happened to you. You've been unconscious, so we haven't been able to safely run tests. Now that you're awake, we'll schedule a CT scan of your head for tomorrow, to check for any injury that may have caused this. The results of the scan will determine how long you remain hospitalized." The doctor explained.

"Oh..." Was all Mike could respond with.

"Well, you've been out for five days, so I'd imagine you're pretty hungry. I'll make sure the staff deliver you a meal." The doctor said.

"Thanks, Dr...?" Mike trailed off.

"Lewis. Carlton Lewis." Dr. Lewis answered, offering his hand.

"Dr. Lewis." Mike said, returning the handshake.

"Well, I'll leave you alone with your friends, and family. You have a nice day Mike." Dr. Lewis said before taking his leave.

Mike watched Dr Lewis as he left. After the door closed he turned his attention to the friends and family by his bedside.

"Guys, I'm so sorry for the way I was acting. All you wanted to do was help, and I pushed you all away." Mike said, hanging his head in shame.

"Mike." Will said putting his hand on Mike's shoulder. "We understand. We knew you'd talk when you were ready, so we just gave you some space."

"Thanks guys, its just... I..." Mike's sentence was interrupted by a growling noise. Will jumped back and started looking around the room in terror. The boys and Nancy kept looking around the room, until they saw Ted, who had a sheepish look on his face.

"Sorry boys, Karen and I skipped lunch today to check on Mike." Ted apologized.

"Why don't you guys go to the cafeteria and get something to eat? Trust me, I don't think I'm going anywhere." Mike said.

"Well, you shouldn't be here by yourself." Karen said.

"We'll stay with him Mrs. Wheeler. We all had lunch at school." Lucas said.

"I'll stay here too." Nancy added.

"Alright then." Karen relented. "Just come get us if anything happens."

"We will." Lucas responded.

Karen and Ted walked out of the room, leaving Nancy and the boys with Mike.

 _'I have to tell them what happened. I might not be alone with them again for a while.' Mike thought to himself._

"Guys?" Mike said.

"What is it?" Nancy asked.

"I... I know what happened to me." He started, not sure how to explain what happened.

"What? Then why didn't you tell Mom and Dad? Or Dr. Lewis for that matter?" Nancy asked.

"Because it involves El." Mike said.

Everyone looked at Mike with their full attention.

"Will, remember the dream you had? Where you saw El?" Mike asked, receiving a nod from Will.

"Well, the night all this started, I saw her in my dream too, only she talked to me. She told me not to be sad, then reached out for me. I tried to reach back, but there was some kind of shock wave, then I woke up. Like I said, my brain felt like it was on fire. After that, I was in some kind of blackness. I couldn't feel, see or hear anything. It felt like I was there for years, but then El showed up again. She told me that what happened to me was somehow her fault."

"What?! Why would she do this?!" Lucas interrupted.

"Keep your voice down! Nobody else can know about this! Anyway, she didn't mean to do this. She said something about touching my mind. I'm not sure what that meant. We didn't talk for much longer before she just... faded away." Mike paused for a moment, trying to shake the memory.

"After she was gone, I was alone in the darkness again, but a light appeared in the distance. I couldn't get to it at first, it was almost like when you realize you're dreaming, but then can't move. Then all of a sudden I could move again, and when I got closer to the light, I started hearing you guys. Then I touched the light, and woke up here." Mike finished.

"...So... you're ok now?" Nancy asked.

"Yeah, I think so. But I can't tell mom or dad that." Mike answered.

"Then why tell us about this?" Dustin asked.

"Because once I'm out of here, I'm picking up the search for El, and I'll need all of you to help me." Mike explained.

"Mike, we didn't find anything last time. What would have changed now? The gate's gone!" Lucas said.

"You're right, the gate's gone. But what about the box Hopper's been leaving food in? She told me herself that she's getting food from it. That makes me think there's more than one way into the Upside Down. We just have to find it." Mike finished, determination in his eyes.

"So, what exactly is your plan?" Will asked.

"We'll trail Hopper to wherever the box is, then we'll walk the area with our compasses. We know the box is a tear between our world and the Upside Down, so maybe there's another nearby. If it comes down to it, we'll use the box ourselves, to give El something to let her know we're looking for her." Mike said, looking at the others.

"Mike, is this really the best idea?" Nancy asked. "I know you want to find El, but we could be messing with things we can't even begin to understand."

Mike sat in silence for a moment. "Maybe you're right. Maybe this is a horrible idea. Maybe I am in completely over my head! But I'll be damned if I'm going to let her stay in that hell hole if I think there's a chance of a rescue!" Mike said, letting out a deep breath. "I'm doing this. That's that."

Before anyone could say anything, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in." Mike said.

The door opened to reveal a nurse carrying a covered plate.

"Michael Wheeler? Dr. Lewis said that you could use a meal." The nurse set the plate on the bedside table and rolled it in front of Mike. She took off the lid to reveal a plate of grilled chicken tenders, mashed potatoes, and corn.

"Thank you." Mike said.

"No problem sweetie, just let us know if you need anything." The nurse said as she left the room.

"Boys, I think we should go to the cafeteria, give Mike a few minutes of peace." Nancy said.

"Yeah, I could do with a Coke anyway." Dustin said.

"You guys go ahead, I'll still be here when you get back." Mike said, smiling for the first time in weeks.

One by one the group left the room, leaving Mike alone with his meal, and his thoughts.

"We're coming El, just hang on." He said to himself.

* * *

Meanwhile, a world away, a little girl sat in the blanket fort that was built for her, by the first person to truly care about her. The same person she had inadvertently hurt. She clutched her knees to her chest as she fought back her tears. She tried to stay brave in the hostile environment, but the guilt of knowing she had hurt Mike ate her from the inside out.

 _'We're coming El, just hang on.'_ Said a soft voice.

"Mike?!" Eleven yelled, jumping to her feet. She was met with silence.

"MIKE?!" She screamed louder. Still silence.

El fell back to the ground, feeling her tears returning. This time, she didn't try to stop them.

"Mike..." Was all she could choke out between sobs.

* * *

 **A/N: Merry Christmas ya filthy animals! And a Happy New Year! For real though, I'm taking a break until after the New Year, when everything has calmed down. Until then!**


	10. Chapter 10

Mike ate his dinner in quiet contemplation, trying to iron out the details of his plan. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that this wasn't going to be done overnight. They'd have to spy on Hopper, and learn his routine. Then they'd have to find a way to follow him without being spotted. Bikes would be too slow, and getting Jonathan to drive for them would be too obvious.

 _'Maybe if we hide in the woods, map out each turn he makes? Yeah... Yeah that might work!'_ He thought to himself as he chewed a piece of chicken. _'But... what do we do when we find the box? If it's a tear between worlds, could it be made into a gate? No no no, if it could be, why wouldn't El have come back already? Gah! Why didn't I ask her more questions when I had the chance?!'_

Before Mike could mentally berate himself more, he was roused from his thoughts by the sound of the door opening. He looked up, and saw his family and friends returning from the cafeteria.

"Hey guys." Mike said, setting his empty plate aside.

"Are you feeling any better?" His mother asked him.

"Yeah. Eating something definitely helped." He answered.

Silence began to set in, as no one was sure what to say, until Dustin spoke up.

"So Mike, I was thinking." He began.

"I knew I smelled something burning." Lucas joked, earning himself an elbow in the ribs.

"ANYWAY!" Dustin continued. "I was thinking about the _campaign_ we were talking about earlier." He said putting emphasis on 'campaign'. "What if we followed the _ogre_ without you? That way when you get out of here, we all have a head start."

Mike thought a minute, trying to figure out what Dustin was saying. "No..." He said, putting the pieces together. "You can't follow the _ogre_. If it spots you, the entire _campaign_ is over. What you should do is watch it from the trees, map out it's route over a few days, turn by turn. Do that, and you can follow it right to the objective." He explained.

"Yeah, that sounds like the better way to do it." Dustin said, nodding.

"Alright then. Will?" Mike said as he turned his attention to his friend. "I'm naming you DM until I'm better." Will simply nodded in return.

With that matter squared away, small talk started up again, mostly about what Mike had missed. They told him that Troy had his cast taken off, and was already starting trouble. They also told him that the replacement Ham Radio had been set up, and that they had contacted someone in Texas. And, much to the embarrassment of Will, they told him that Jennifer Hayes had been coming over at lunch at talking to the group, namely Will.

Mike continued to talk with his friends and family, until there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Karen called out.

The door opened to reveal the nurse from earlier. "Hi Mike. Are you finished with your plate?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm done. Thank you." He said as she too the plate away.

"It's my pleasure. Now, I hate to break up the reunion, but visiting hours are almost over. And there's a two person limit for overnight stays." She explained.

"That's fine." Karen told the nurse, turning to Nancy. "Can you take the boys home and pick up Holly from the babysitter? That way Ted and I can stay here."

"Yeah, no pro-"

"No." Mike said, cutting Nancy off. "When was the last time you had a good night's sleep? Go home, and get some rest. I'll still be here tomorrow." Mike said.

"Michael-" Karen started

"Mom. Go. Home." Mike interrupted, enunciating each word. "You're no help to me if you're tired."

"...Okay." Karen relented.

"So... no overnight visitors?" The nurse asked.

"No. Nobody's staying." Mike said, leaving no room for argument.

"Alright then, I'll give you all a minute." The nurse said, taking her leave.

The boys stepped over to Mike's bedside, with Dustin putting his hand on Mike's shoulder.

"Get better soon Mike. We need our DM back." He said.

"Don't worry, I'll be out of here soon enough. Then, we can finally finish the _campaign._ " He replied, with a small smile.

Everyone else said their goodbyes, before being ushered out of the room by Karen, who was stopped in the hall by the same nurse.

"Ma'am, I presume you're his mother?" She asked.

"Yes I am." Karen answered.

"I just wanted to say, that you've raised a very selfless boy. I've seen children his age demand that they waited on hand and foot while they're in here. Yet, Michael told you to go home and take care of yourself. I just thought that was special." The nurse explained, giving Karen a smile before walking away.

* * *

The next morning came without incident. Mike was woken up by a nurse, so that preparations could be made for his CT scan. The nurse unhooked him from his monitors, and helped him into a wheelchair. Karen came in the room just as they were finishing.

"Oh, he's going back so soon?" Karen asked the nurse, a little surprised.

"Yes ma'am. An appointment scheduled for this morning was canceled, so we're able to do this sooner. I'm afraid you can't go with us, but you're welcome to wait here until the scan is done." The nurse said apologetically.

"O.. okay. I'll be here then." She said, kneeling down to give Mike a hug.

The nurse wheeled Mike down the hallway, to the examination wing. As they went along their way, Mike glanced warily at the nurses and technicians passing by. Before too long, the arrived at the CT examination room. The nurse opened the door and rolled Mike inside. Once inside he saw Dr. Lewis, and another man sitting at a control panel. Dr. Lewis looked up when he heard the door open, and smiled when he saw mike.

"Good morning Mike!" He said as he stood up and walked over.

"Good morning, Dr Lewis." Mike replied, eyeing what he assumed was the CT machine. The machine had two parts; one part looked like a giant doughnut, while the other was a table on a slider. Dr. Lewis noticed Mike's gaze, and chuckled to himself.

"It looks like something from a Sci-fi movie, doesn't it? Don't worry, it might look intimidating, but you won't feel a thing." He said patting Mike on the shoulder. "Now, let me introduce you to our CT technician." He said motioning to the other man. "This is Dr. Tim Lee, he'll be running the test."

Dr. Lee took a few steps over to Mike and put his hand out. "It's nice to meet you Mike." He said. Mike took his hand and gave it a shake, before turning his attention to the machine again.

"So... my science teacher told me a little about these, but I'm still not sure how this works."

"Well, you know how an x-ray works right?" Dr. Lewis asked, receiving a nod in return. "This works in much the same way, only this will allow us a more complete picture. The machine will take several exposures, and with the computer, we can go through them in layers. But to do that, we need to inject you with some contrast material. We can do that through your IV. After that we can help you up on the table and get the machine calibrated. And finally, the machine will move the table so that we can get a full picture of your head. Well, that's about it. Any questions?" He asked.

"How long will this take?" Mike asked.

"Well, setting up the machine will only take a few minutes. After that, the scan will take between 10 to 20 minutes. Finally, the results will have to be processed. We have several appointments today, so that may take a few hours." Dr. Lee explained. "If there's nothing else, we can start the test."

"Yeah, I'm ready." Mike said, nodding. Dr. Lee then led him over to the machine.

* * *

At Hawkins Elementary, the group of three boys rode up on their bikes.

"You know, Mike should be getting his test done right about now." Dustin said as he chained his bike to the rack.

"You think they'll find anything?" Lucas asked.

"I'm not sure, but I get the impression that Mike doesn't think so. He seems to think this was from talking to El." Dustin replied.

"You think he didn't talk to her?" Lucas asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't say that! All I'm wondering is why this didn't happen to Will when they talked."

"Well..." Will said. "We didn't really talk. I heard her voice in my head, then saw her face in my dream. But I never talked to her. Maybe that has something to do with it?"

The group walked along, thinking about what might have happened. They rounded the corner of the building, only to be stopped by none other than Troy and James.

"Well, Well, Well!" Troy started, speaking to a non-existent crowd. "I apologize folks, but the freak show has been canceled! The queer, blackie and toothless can't perform without frog face!"

Will started to say something, but backed down.

"OH! Hang on everyone, I think the queer wants to say something! Go on faggot, we're all listening!"

"I just..." Will trailed off, looking at the small crowd of children that had gathered around. "I just wanted to know, what do your parents do to you that makes you be like this?"

"Wha... what did you just say to me?" Troy asked, visibly shocked what the small boy had said.

"I mean, there has to be some reason you're the way you are." Will said, taking a step towards Troy. "Or, maybe it's what your parents don't do? Maybe mommy and daddy don't give you any attention? That makes you feel insecure, and you have to take it out on the people you think are weakest? If that's the case you could at least be original. 'Queer'? Yeah, like I haven't heard that one before. Blackie? That's the best you could come up with? And toothless? I mean fair enough, he's missing some teeth, but he's had surgery to fix a serious medical condition. Meanwhile, your face is just naturally messed up."

A round of "OHHHH's" rang out from the crowd of children.

"And to top it all off, you're 13 and you can't even control your bladder, so you make up stories about some girl that no one has seen. And yet somehow, me and my friends are the freaks? I pity you. I really do." He said turning on his heels and walking away.

"I... You..." Troy stuttered. "This isn't over Byers!" He yelled after Will.

Will stopped in his tracks. "Yeah, I think it is." He said, without even turning around, before he continued walking.

After Dustin and Lucas had picked their jaws up off the ground, they ran after Will.

"Dude! Where did THAT come from!?" Lucas asked, still not believing what he had heard.

Will himself was at a loss for words. "I... I really don't know."

"That was mental! You completely destroyed him! In front of a crowd! Everyone is going to be talking about this for weeks!" Dustin said, slapping Will on the back.

The boys continued walking to their first class, Science. But before they could make much progress, someone came running up behind them.

"Will! Will!" A girl cried out. The boys turned around, and saw Jennifer Hayes running towards them.

Lucas elbowed Will in the ribs. "Look out man, it's your fan club."

"Shut up." Will said through gritted teeth, slapping Lucas on the arm.

"Hey Will." Jennifer said, when she had caught up with the group. "What you did back there, that was amazing!"

"R..really?" Will asked, fighting the blush creeping over his face.

"Yeah! Troy's been causing trouble for ever, it's nice to see him get put in his place. There's even rumors that he was crying when you left."

"Alright Will!" Dustin said, grabbing his friend by the shoulder. "Taking down bullies without throwing a single punch!"

"Well, I don't know about that..." Will trailed off.

"I do!" Jennifer said. "People are already talking about it."

Will was struggling to find words, but was mercifully saved by the bell.

"OH CRAP! We're gonna be late!" Dustin said a he ran towards Mr. Clarke's classroom, with Lucas following behind.

"So... see you at lunch?" Jennifer asked.

"Y.. yeah, see you." Will replied as he ran after his friends.

When Will got to the classroom, Dustin and Lucas had already sat down.

"Ah, now everyone starts coming in." Mr Clarke said. "I was starting to worry that all my students had forgotten about school."

"No, just a little hold-up, everyone else should be here soon." Will explained as he took his seat.

"And just what would this holdup be?" Mr. Clarke asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Trust me, you'll be hearing all about it for the next few weeks." Lucas said, snickering.

"What Lucas meant to say, is that we'll explain it after class." Will said, shooting a glare at Lucas.

"Fair enough." Mr Clarke said, writing the boy's names on the roll call sheet. Moments later, the rest of the students came in the classroom talking about what had happened, but they all fell quiet when they saw Will.

"Alright, if everyone could take their seats, we can begin." Mr Clarke said before taking roll call.

* * *

Things were calm in the Hawkins Police Department, as they were most days. Flo was sitting behind her desk reading the paper, Powell and Callahan were doing paperwork, and Hopper was sitting at his desk, nursing his third cup of coffee.

The peaceful monotony was broken, however, when two men dressed in suits came in the front door.

"May I help you?" Flo asked as she set her paper aside.

"We need to speak to Chief Hopper." The man on the left said.

"Of course, just a second." She said as she stood up and walked back to his office. "Hop?" She said, looking through the door. "Two men in suits are here asking for you."

"Send them in." He said, staring into his cup of coffee. _'Why are they here? Why now?'_ He thought to himself. Seconds later the two men walked into his office and closed the door behind them.

"Chief Hopper, I'm Agent Brian, this is Agent Smith. we were sent by-"

"I know who sent you." He snapped, cutting the man off. "You aren't supposed to be here."

"The circumstances require our presence. You are aware that Michael Wheeler is in the hospital, correct?" The agent asked.

"I've heard it from the rumor mills. He's the reason you're here?" He said, raising an eyebrow.

"Possibly. The reason we ask, is because at the same time Michael was admitted to the hospital, the fissure in the tank room started secreting gas."

Hopper's eyes shot open. "The gate is open?" He asked, dread pooling in his stomach.

"No, the gate is gone. However, the fissure in the wall has started leaking some of the atmosphere of the alternate dimension." Agent Brian explained.

"And you think Mike somehow is related to all this?"

"We find it too strange to be merely coincidence, that the two events would happen at the exact same time."

Hopper sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. "So... where do we go from here?" He asked, fishing out a cigarette.

"Well, we have a man in the hospital keeping an eye on the boy. He's told us that Michael has gone in for a CT scan this morning. This might give us more information. As for you, does the boy know about the call you made after he left?" He asked.

"No. I know he doesn't trust me, but he doesn't know about our current arrangement." He replied, taking a drag off his cigarette.

"Good. Make sure it stays that way. All of those boys know too much already. If they were to find out more, _Intervention_ may become necessary. Well, we've done what we were sent to do, so we'll leave you to, whatever it is you do." Agent Brian said, waving his hand, before leaving with Agent Smith.

After the door closed behind them, Hopper sank back into his chair, and stared at the ceiling. He took a final drag off his cigarette, as the agent's words rang through his head. ' _Intervention may become necessary.'_


	11. Chapter Eleven

**A/N: Since I only get one chapter eleven, I thought I'd give a little perspective from everyone's favorite telepathic girl.**

* * *

 _ **Three Months Earlier**_

"Just hold on a little longer okay? He's gone. The bad man's gone. We'll be home soon." Mike said as he held Eleven's hands. "My mom, she'll get you your own bed, and you can eat as many Eggos as you want! And... we can go to the Snow Ball."

Even though her head was pounding, his words made her feel better. "Promise?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"Promise." Mike said, as he held her hands tighter. The two looked into each other's eyes, before they heard the Demogorgon roaring in the hall. The gunshots kept getting louder and louder, until everything was silent.

"Is it... is it dead? Dustin asked. He got his answer, when the Demogorgon knocked the door down, and turned to look at the group.

"Go go go! Get the wrist rocket!" Mike and Dustin screamed.

El squeezed her eyes shut, curling up on the table. She was paralyzed from fear, but her mind was racing, trying to think of a way to save her friends. She glanced over at the group, and saw them shooting rocks at the monster, but it was still coming towards them.

She heard her Papa's voice in her head. _"There's nothing to be frightened of. It's reaching out to you because it wants you. So don't turn away from it."_ Then she heard Mike's voice. _"A friend is someone you'd do anything for."_

She felt a sudden rush of energy, more than she had ever felt before. She got off the table and onto her feet. She focused on the Demogorgon, and threw the monster across the classroom, pinning it against the wall. Advancing on the monster, she slowly walked past the boys and towards the Demogorgon.

"Eleven, stop!" Mike yelled as he moved towards her. She threw her arm towards him, knocking him back and pinning him against the cabinets with her mind. With each step she took, she felt herself becoming weaker from overexertion. Even so, she continued to try to find a weak spot to kill the Demogorgon. Even trying to break its neck proved futile. With desperation setting in, one last idea came to mind: Tear it apart from the inside. Knowing that what she was about to do might kill her, she turned to look at Mike one last time.

"Goodbye Mike…" She said, barely above a whisper. Her eyes lingered on him a moment longer, before she turned back to the monster in front of her. "No more." Her voice was filled with resolve. She lifted her arm to the Demogorgon, and one last time, channeled her energy to create a gate inside the monster. As she began, the monster let out a deafening roar of pain. The more energy she used the louder it became. The screams of the monster were soon joined by her own, as she pushed herself to the breaking point and beyond. The Demogorgon began to disintegrate, filling the room with black ash. She gave one last push of energy, and finally, everything went black.

* * *

 _ **Two**_ _ **Days**_ _ **Later**_

Her senses slowly began to come back to her. The first to return was touch, as she felt her head pounding. There was also a cold slimy feel underneath her. The next to return were smell and taste, as the acrid odor of her surroundings began to burn her nose and mouth. Soon after she heard the vast emptiness, and the echoed sounds of God only knows what. And when she finally managed to muster the strength to open her eyes, her worst fear had been confirmed; she was in the Upside Down.

She tried to scream for Mike, but only broke down in a coughing fit. El Tried to stand up, but found she didn't have the strength left in her. Unable to walk, she began crawling to the fallen door of the classroom. In her weakened state, she only barely made it past the doorway before darkness overtook her once again.

* * *

 _ **One**_ _ **Day**_ _ **Later**_

El stirred as she regained consciousness once more. She flinched as her senses were once again assaulted by the atmosphere of the Upside Down. Once more she made an attempt to stand, and this time was able to rise to her feet. Using the wall for support, she began shakily walking through the school, towards the exit. As she walked, she passed by the open door of the nurse's office. Inside the door, she saw a moldy pair of crutches, which she took to stabilize herself. Now that she was capable of moving by herself, she left the school behind her, and headed to the only place she could think to go, Mike's house. While she walked, she felt as if she were being watched even though she couldn't see anything around her.

Although the trip was exhausting, she eventually made it to Mike's basement door and went inside. What she saw was nothing like the warm basement that made her feel safe in a time of uncertainty. What she found instead was a dark, moldy cave, which seemed to consume what little light there was. Her heart sank when she looked at the blanket fort that Mike had built for her. Rather than a warm refuge, it was now a cold, vine-covered shell.

Tears began to prick her eyes as she moved to the corrupted clone of her fort. She let the crutches fall to the floor, and moved the vines covering the entrance, before crawling inside. As she tried to settle in, she thought of what would become of her. El knew had to have been several days since she faced the Demogorgon, based on how thirsty and hungry she was. The only other times she had felt like this was when Papa had locked her in the bad room. If she had no way to get food and water soon, she knew she wouldn't last long.

But in her heart, she knew that she wouldn't change anything. Even though she would die, she had saved her friends. In the end, that's all she cared about. Dustin and Lucas would live, but especially Mike. _"A friend is someone you'd do anything for."_ He had told her.

With nothing else to do before she died, she closed her eyes and reached out into the void, hoping she could see what became of her friends. She focused on the only person she could think of. In moments, Mike materialized in front of her. But to her surprise, so did Lucas, Dustin, Joyce and Will. They were all together in a room. Joyce and the boys were sitting in chairs around Will's bedside talking to him, except for Mike, who was near a window staring at the rain falling from the night sky. However, El didn't have the energy to listen to the conversation. Before long the vision collapsed entirely.

She tried once more, this time focusing on Nancy. Once again she surprised that they were together. El could only make out a few words here and there. _"Me and Steve...", "...Will to come home..."_. Before long, this vision also faded. She reached out one more time, this time looking for Hopper. She found him in a forest, putting a box on the ground, and placing wrapped eggos and a bottle of water in the box.

 _"Why am I doing this?"_ She heard him say. _"Even if she's alive, she'll never find this"_

El gasped as the vision faded. She recognized the place that Hopper put the box; she had seen it while she was escaping from the lab. If she was able to get to the box, she might have a chance at surviving. Knowing that the only way she could survive is to reach the box, she picked up her crutches, and headed towards Mirkwood.

She kept a slow pace to keep from exhausting herself again. Eventually, the road brought her to the box in the woods. The box wasn't corrupted like everything else, it looked just like it would have in the real world She knelt down to open the box, and her eyes widened in joy as she saw the stack of eggos and water. She eagerly tore into the eggos only stopping to wash them down with some water. Before long, the eggos and the water both were gone. Even though it was a relatively meager meal, El was satisfied; she even felt a little better. If the food and water continued to show up, she knew she might have a chance of survival after all.

* * *

 _ **Forty Days Later**_

She wasn't sure how long she had been in the upside down. All she knew was that the box would periodically be refreshed with food and water. Despite this nourishment she was provided, she found that her powers were weakened. She had tried many times to make contact with her friends, but always failed. In fact, she often failed to even find them in the first place. It had been a while since she had last attempted to make contact, so she resolved to try again.

Once more she closed her eyes, and began to reach out into the void. She first looked for Mike, but couldn't find him. Then she tried Lucas and Dustin, but had no sucess with them either. Finally, she tried will. But this time, she was able to locate him. Their connection was weak, but she tried communicating anyway.

"Will" As soon as she spoke, Will's demenor changed. "Can you hear me? I'm ok. Tell Mike. Hopper brings me food. He knows." As soon as she finished talking, Will faded away from her.

She opened her eyes after the vision had faded, and wiped away the blood that was pouring from both nostrils. El didn't know how much had gotten through, but she hoped he would at least tell Mike about it. Either way, she was actually able to make contact, which was more than she had been able to do before. Still, she wished she could talk to Mike just once.

* * *

 _ **Twelve Days Later**_

El was starting to tell time by how often food would appear. With the assumption that it was once a day, it had been 12 days since she last attempted contact with anyone. She was trying to save up her strength in the hopes that she would have more success. Deciding that it was time to try again, she closed her eyes, and reached out once more.

As always, she started with Mike. She focused her energy towards him, not really expecting to find him. However, she found him immediately. Her shock was so great that she nearly lost the connection right then. As she approached Mike, she saw that he was asleep. But as she looked closer, she saw tears coming from his eyes. She tried reaching out to his mind.

 _"El?"_ Mike mumbled in his sleep. El couldn't believe it, after all this time, she could finally talk to Mike.

"Mike, don't be sad." El said softly.

 _"El…"_ He mumbled once more. El couldn't take it anymore, she had to touch him. To make him know that she was alive. She reached out and placed her hand on his head. As soon as her hand touched him, Mike let out a blood-curdling scream and rolled to the floor while clutching his head.

She looked down at Mike in horror. ' _Nonononono, what did I do?'_ Mike rolled onto his back and passed out, revealing the blood pouring from his nose and ears.

The vision collapsed as El's emotions overwhelmed her.

"MIKE!" She screamed. "MIKE!" She had no idea what had happened, but knowing that she had hurt Mike was too much for her. Sobs began wracking her body as she curled up in her blanket fort. ' _Mike, I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…'_

* * *

 _ **Five Days Later**_

El had no idea how long it had been since she had hurt Mike. Since it happened she never went to get food; ' _I don't deserve it.'_ she told herself. As she closed her eyes, she slipped into the void. When she opened them, she saw Mike laying in the distance. ' _Mike?! I didn't look for him, why is he here? Unless, no… nonono, it can't be…'_ She thought to herself as a terrible realization dawned on her; whatever she had done broke his mind. There was no other explanation.

She slowly began moving towards him.

"Mike…" She said softly, unsure if he would respond.

"El?" Mike said, lifting his head.

El slowly reached out to touch him, still afraid of what might happen. Her fears were relieved when she put her hand on his shoulder. At first, Mike tensed up at the touch, but he relaxed as he turned an looked El in the eyes.

"El? Is it really you?" Mike asked, disbelief in his voice. El couldn't hold his gaze any longer, and looked to the ground. Undeterred, Mike reached out and touched her on the arm.

"El, it really is you!" Mike exclaimed as he leaped to his feet and embraced El. "What's going on? Where are we?" He asked.

El lost control of her emotions. "Mike, I'm Sorry… I'm sorry…" She choked out between sobs.

"Sorry?" He asked, taking a step back to try to look at her. "What are you sorry for?"

"I hurt you, now you're trapped."

"Trapped? Trapped where?" He asked. El sad nothing, but instead tapped her finger on his temple. "My head? I'm trapped in… my head? I… I don't understand…" He said, scrunching his face in confusion.

"Found your dream. Touched your mind. Hurt you, I didn't mean to. Mike, I'm so sorry." She choked out, before breaking down once more.

"Hey look at me." Mike said, lifting her chin to look her in the eyes. "Don't blame yourself, you couldn't have known." He pulled her close to him and held her until her crying had stopped.

"El, where are you? Is it true that Hopper's been bringing you food?" Mike asked.

"In the Upside Down, he puts food in a box." She answered.

"Well, how can I get to you? We have to get you out of there!" He said.

"Mike, you can't. The gate's gone." She said. It was true, she had already tried going back to the lab, but the gate had closed.

"No! There has to be another way! I can't just leave you there!" He said, tears stinging his eyes.

"Mike." She said softly as she put her hand on his. "It's ok." In her mind, it was ok. She had come to terms with her fate a long time ago. But before she could tell this to Mike, his form disappeared. She blinked, and she was once again in the Upside Down, alone.

* * *

 _ **Twenty Minutes Later**_

It hadn't been long since she had talked to Mike. She had learned that Mike still hadn't given up on her, which gave her hope. But that was overshadowed when she had learned that something horrible had happened to him, and it was her fault. Even worse, she didn't know would happen to him. As she dwelled on these thoughts, a voice came clearly through the darkness; Mike's voice.

' _We're coming El, just hang on.'_

"Mike?!" Eleven yelled, jumping to her feet. She was met with silence.

"MIKE?!" She screamed louder. Still silence.

El fell back to the ground, feeling her tears returning. This time, she didn't try to stop them.

"Mike..." Was all she could choke out between sobs.


	12. Author's Note

Well, I reckon this has been long overdue. Until this past chapter, it had been well over a year since I last wrote a chapter for this story. I understand y'all probably have questions, so for the three of you who originally read this story and were still waiting for an update, here you are.

Why did you stop writing? Long story short, I lost all motivation. You might remember the other story I wrote, 'Perfect Summer Day'. I wrote that to try to break the writers block I had ran into for 'ISE'. In truth, it only made it worse. I got even more frustrated after that, which only pushed me further away from writing.

Are you back now? I wouldn't say that I ever really left. It's not that I didn't want to write this story, I just couldn't. This story is the first thing I've ever written outside of high school and college papers, and even writing those are like pulling teeth. I couldn't devote time to the story when I was having a hard enough time writing term papers.

What will happen to the story? I've gotten several PM's like this. I'm not abandoning this story. I can't promise regular updates, but I **WILL** finish this story.

So, that's about it. Thank you to all of you who found and read this story in my absence. I'm sorry for the hiatus, and I'll do my best to bring this story to a satisfying end. Until next time!


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